IRAN - Iran's Croatian football coach Branco Ivankovic praised veteran Ali Daie, saying "he is still the best scorer" on the pitch.

Ivankovic said Daie can play well in the back and his experiences will do a lot for his team.

Iran's Croatian coach came under fire in light of the national football team's luckwarm appearance versus Bahrain, but he said "picking up one point in the first step would be a long stride towards his goals".

He said he was pushed into a corner due to the world football body's (FIFA) window transfer where he has to walk on a tight rope because of not taking Iranian players abroad on his side.

However, Ivankovic vowed to curb the disharmony to the lowest possible rate for the next games.